Coke for a Birthday Present, Part 1
by Emmeline Springs
Summary: When passions explode, there's nobody to piece them back together. But one piece fits back perfectly... the one in the shape of a heart.


Her blue eyes stared at the glass wall, bored and alone, although she felt no loneliness. She had long ago learned to control how she felt about anything. For reasons left to her, unknown to anyone else.

That was, until later that night.

Her bottle of water was held loosely in her right hand, her left on the arm of the chair. The stillness around her seemed to reverberate into her inner core, not saying anything but leaving a message that she did not want to hear.

She flipped her blonde hair out of her eyes and prayed that the night would be over quickly. She was not happy about her birthday. If she got any older, she wouldn't be qualified as a kid anymore. And she would have to leave the Kids Next Door. She could not bear to do so. KND was her life.

Her clear skin was pale and emotionless as she stared out the wall. She said not a word and made not a sound, for there was nothing that need be said. Or so she thought.

She glanced at the clock in hope that the day had passed. No such luck- it had been merely half an hour, and she had three more full hours to go.

She sighed and returned to staring, flipping her hair out of her eyes again.

A sudden knock on the door made her jump and her heartbeat quickly under her long, sea green dress. Her gloved left hand flew to her chest in an attempt to calm it, and she took a deep breath before calling out to whoever was behind the door, "Yes?"

The door inched open and soon gave way to reveal Patton, holding a can of Coke. His jet-black hair was rugged and let loose, very un-formal for such a formal party as the KND had thrown her. His white button-down shirt was loose and his dress pants were wrinkled. His shoes and socks seem to have been lost somewhere in the other room in which he had just come from, for they were not on his feet.

He smiled at her and began to walk slowly and exaggeratingly over to her, a slight wavering in his step.

"Patton," she said to him, "How much Coke have you had?"

He stopped and shrugged. "Nineteen, twenty cans, maybe?" he answered, his words slurred as he took another swig from the can he was holding.

Her worry line creased. "Let me smell your breath," she said, her suspicions getting larger by the second.

He grinned at her, a childish, silly grin. He bounced over to her in three long steps and sat in the chair next to her, sinking into it and kicking his feet. "Why?" he asked her, putting his can on the side table between the chairs.

"Because I think the Cokes may have been spiked," the beauty said slowly, trying not to arise any drunken words from him. He had spoken five words to her and she was already mostly convinced that he was drunk.

"Alriiiight," Patton said, opening his mouth and exhaling out of it.

"Whew!" she said, waving her hand in front of her nose. "Yup, that's spiked, alright. At least one of them was. And you may have had one too many."

"Relax, Rachel," he said rolling his eyes halfway before loosing concentration. She stiffened and sat up in the chair, her back straight and her arms at her sides. A slow blush crept into her cheeks. He continued. "And don't get all worked up 'cuz I used your name, either, 'cuz that's what I'mma call ya from now on."

"No you will not," she said. "You will address me 'Number 362' or 'Supreme Leader', since both are my title. You will not call me by my name, because I am not any more close to you than I am to the others."

"Yeah ya are," he said, the words so slurred she could barely make them out. He took another swig from his can of Coke. "I'm the closest one to ya."

"You are just another Kids Next Door member to me," she said, feeling her pink blush deepen. Even as she said the words, she herself was wondering if they were true. "You are not any more special."

"Not to them," he said, leaning closer to her and twitching his hand closer to hers, which she had placed back on the arm of her chair. She flinched slightly and scooted farther into the other side of her chair. "But to you? I know you love me, Rachel."

"What?" the blonde beauty exclaimed, jumping out of her seat with fire in her bright blue eyes. "How can you think that I love _you_?"

"'Cuz I love you too," he said drunkenly, placing his hand on hers and squeezing it.

She froze, not remembering to pull her hand away until after he stood up too and began to lean in towards her. She jerked her hand away and slapped his, taking a step back and almost falling after landing on her stiletto heel wrong.

"Wha's wrong?" he asked her, taking a step towards her and grabbing her hand again. "Why did ya pull away?"

"You don't love me," she said, yanking her hand out of his again and this time slapping him in the face. His eyes bugged out of his head and his cheek had a red mark in the shape of her hand. It soon faded, though, and his eyes glassed over once more.

"Why do ya think I came in 'ere, then?" he slurred. "Why do ya think I've put in so much effort to talk to ya?"

"_Effort_?" she squeaked. "If you mean that getting drunk and opening a door that leads to where I am to _lie to me_ is effort, get a dictiona-"

Her sentence was cut short by his lips placed on hers. And for a moment, she felt loose. Away. As if she really could just let go of control and enjoy the moment she was in.

Her lips involuntarily moved with his, both of them falling onto the small chair she had just been in. His arms circled her waist and brought her body closer to him and her arms grasped around his neck.

But her sense returned and she pulled away. She gasped and pushed him off of her and onto the floor and she jumped out of the chair, knocking over her bottle of water and spilling over Patton.

"Hey!" he protested, propping himself up on his elbows and shaking his head. Water sprayed all over the room and all over Rachel.

"Patton!" Rachel exclaimed, looking at her ruined silk dress. "Look what you did!" Her eyes blurred as she thought about the damage it might cause to her leadership if the KND saw her like this.

Before she knew what was happening, she was sitting on the couch on the other side of the room, Patton with her. "It's okay, Rachel honey," he whispered, tucking a shred of blonde hair behind her ear. His touch electrified her and she snapped back to her senses.

"Don't touch me," she snapped, pushing his hand away and crossing her arms over her chest, going to look anywhere but towards his eyes. She felt her inside slouch. She had liked his touch.

_But he's a KND member, _she thought. _I just can't love him. He could get hurt… everyone could get hurt._

"Tell me the truth," Patton's voice whispered to her, even in a whisper his voice somewhat drunk. "Do ya relly not love meh, or are ya just scared to love meh?"

"I… I'm… take your pick, because either way you won't get me."

"Yer scared."

She knew that any movement would give her away, so she did not respond. But she could not stop her tears from overflowing down her delicate cheeks.

She let him turn her head back to him and brush away one of the tears.

"Do ya see this?" he asked her, holding up the tear.

She nodded.

"This," he said, his eyes raking over her. "Is just something of you that I want. I want all of you, Rach. I want the whole thing. And I want her to want meh too."

"I can't," she said, so quietly that it was barely comprehensible. Patton leaned in to hear her. His warm, drunken breath sprayed over her and she continued. "If I… If I give you my heart, you… I mean, someone could… um…"

"Shhh," he told her, placing one finger on her lips. Her eyes finally looked at his.

For just that second, that one, heavenly second, the glaze in his eyes was lost and in its place was love.

His finger was replaced by his lips. She could not find it in her to fight back… or even the desire to fight back. But she contained herself just enough to not kiss him back.

"Come on, Rachel," he said, stopping the kiss to whisper in her ear. "You're over-thinking it. Just let go."

As his lips once again pressed on hers, she fell back on the couch. He landed on top of her, his lips somewhat more urgent, his skin sending bolts of electricity through her…

"No," she said stubbornly, melancholy displayed clearly on her flawless, tomato-red face. "If an enemy finds out about us, _if_, and only if, we ever did happen, then he could use you to get to me. And you know what? It would be my duty to choose the KND. And therefore, you could die, or get injured, and… I'm not that strong, Patton! You think I am, you're wrong! I'm not strong enough to loose you!"

"See?" he asked her quietly. "You do love me." And again, he kissed her.

Her hands had minds of their own as they grabbed at him and pulled him closer. Her lips welded themselves to his and her leg hitched around his.

"That's better," he whispered, right before he kissed her again.

The room seemed to drop in contrast to Patton, in Rachel's head. All she could see, hear, feel… all she could want was him. Passion steamed in the air.

Suddenly, his body went slack. He rolled off of her and onto the floor with a loud _thud_.

"Patton?" Rachel asked in panic, kneeling down beside him. Her hands flew to his wrist and felt for a pulse. She sighed with relief when she felt it, beating unsteadily and roughly. She felt her heart beating the same way, their exact beats perfectly in tune with each other.

He rolled over onto his side and muttered six quiet words. "Happy birthday, Rachel. I love you." And he fell asleep again.

She waited until both of their heartbeats calmed down and placed a gentle kiss upon his forehead. She then pulled him up onto the couch, digging through drawers until she found a blanket. She then draped it over him and watched as he gave a small, perfect snore.

She let herself cry. For the first time in forever, she let herself cry. The tears spilled over, drenching the carpet and staining her dress more. As she cried, she smiled. Even as hurt as she knew he could be if anybody found out about them, especially a villain, she was gleeful. She had found love.

"Sleep, my love," she whispered to Patton, dreaming peacefully on the couch.

She exited the room, turning off the lights as she went.

She walked slowly into the room. "Patton? Are you up yet?"

"Yeah," his voice said after a pause. "I'm up."

She turned the lights on and skipped over to him. "Good morning!" she told him, chipper and happy.

"Hey, 'sup," he said, rubbing his temple and brushing back his jet-black hair.

"You okay?" she asked him, sitting down next to him and taking a piece of her hair and twisting it.

"Ugh, well, I can't remember anything from last night and my head feels like there are little tiny hammers pounding at it."

"You can't remember anything?" she asked, her spirits crashing. She shook her head to clear it and then asked, "What was that second part about again?

"My head," he said, squinting.

She laughed and he looked at her in surprise.

"You're hung over," she giggled.  
"Ugh," he repeated.

"Ill go get you something to help," she said, jumping up and running out of the room. A moment later, she came back in with a glass of water and a small, orange pill.

"What's that?" Patton asked, leaning in closer to the pill to see it.

"It's a pill that Number 3 made," Rachel said, handing it to him along with the water. "It'll help."

"Are you sure?" Patton asked, looking at the pill intently.

She rolled her eyes. "Just swallow it, Patton," she said.

He did, and then put the glass on the side table. "Much better," he said.

There was a silence in the room. Rachel felt her spirits delve again, and tears threatened to overtake her.

"Did, um… did I do anything, say, stupid, while I was drunk?" he asked her, breaking the silence awkwardly.

Tears did reach her eyes. But she smiled and prayed that they wouldn't overflow. She tried to lie as convincingly as she could. "No, nothing stupid," she told him.

"Great," he said, standing up and walking over to the door. "Have a nice day," he said to her, waving a small wave and exiting.

He closed the door and leaned against it, memories evading him. And yet he could not shake the feeling that he should have said or done something else. Suddenly, the memory of her blushing, red face came back to him, and her saying something… but he couldn't remember what…

Back in the room, the tears overcame Rachel again and she sat down on the couch to say, "Yes, Patton, you did do something stupid. We both did. We fell in love."

She buried her face in her hands and wept silently.


End file.
